 Hello, psych2goers! We just want to take the time to thank you for all your kind support. We are a team of dedicated, passionate, and hard-working individuals who come together every day with one goal in mind. We want to make psychology come alive for you. We are self-funded and recently launched our Patreon page. If you enjoy the work we do and find it meaningful, please stick around until the end of the video for information on how to get more involved with us and all the cool rewards you can get from us. We hope you enjoy the video. In the world of hookup culture, we've made it clear that it's socially favored to be closed off and emotionally unavailable without a need for love. The same applies to your mental health. If at any point you want to seek help and someone laughs at the idea, then it implies that you're weak or incapable of taking care of yourself. People seem more concerned about putting on a strong independent image because they mistake projection for individuality. But this is exactly why millions of people suffer silently behind smiles and social media. Here are five reasons why you don't have to be afraid of therapy. Number one. Make sure you want to go to therapy for yourself and not for anyone else, otherwise it won't work. Therapy is a lot like having a relationship. If you're dating someone because someone said the two of you would look good together, your partner may not be right for you. Even if they want what is best for you, if your heart isn't fully invested in the relationship, then you won't be able to benefit from it. The same goes for therapy. If your parents or advisor pushed you to go to therapy but you're not fully present during your sessions, then no matter how insightful your therapist's advice is or how many techniques they recommend you to use, you won't be able to heal. In order to get better, you have to be in the right mindset to do the work. Number two. Find the right therapist who works for you. Erin Bogo, our wonderful YouTube manager, states, it might take a few tries to find the right therapist to work with. According to Bogo, it's a good sign when therapists allow free consultation sessions before charging you because they're willing to see if the both of you click first. It can be daunting jumping right in before understanding what you're committing to. You want to make sure your therapist is someone you can trust because vulnerability is required in order to get better. This is someone you're going to get close to. It may take a few tries before finding the right therapist for you. But don't worry about hurting your therapist's feelings if you decline their help. Ultimately, they just want what's best for you. So if you can find that elsewhere, don't hesitate to let them know before you look for someone new. Number three. Get a recommendation from someone who you trust if you don't know where to start. It's normal to feel lost and unsure about where to begin. That's where your connections come in handy. If you're a student, you can get a recommendation from your guidance counselor, academic advisor, or teacher. Asking your family doctor, a close friend, or coworker for suggestions can also help. If you and your parents have different views on therapy that may be conflicting and you feel uncomfortable about disclosing information to them, you can talk to your insurance provider about that. Let your therapist know about your confidentiality preferences too. Remember, your privacy matters and there are people who can protect it. Number four. Therapy can be affordable. The economy is carrying a lot of financial burden today. As a result, the last thing people think about is spending a check on therapy. This is why therapy is often overlooked and people's mental health is placed on the back burner. We recommend that you start by talking to your insurance provider to see which psychologists in your area are available. If you're a college student, you can also talk to the counselors at health services on campus. There are also counseling websites like Blah Therapy and Seven Cups where you can talk to strangers. Sometimes fencing to someone you've just met can be incredibly effective. Virtual therapy exists too, which allows you to connect with a licensed psychologist at a reduced price. No matter how your wallet is looking, options are always out there. Number five. Don't rule therapy out permanently because your life is always changing. If you've tried therapy before because your parents or family doctor recommended it and it didn't work for you, that's okay. Perhaps you found your hobbies more therapeutic than talking to someone. But life changes and there will be different stressful situations that will affect you. You may not need therapy right this second, but it's something that can be considered down the road if your mental health is suffering. The stigma towards therapy is still high today, but your life is more important than what popular opinion thinks. If at any time you feel as though you should seek help, listen to what your body is telling you. Are you still hesitant to give therapy a try? We understand how hard taking the first step is, but we want to be supportive. Please share your thoughts with us below. Also, don't forget to subscribe for more content from Psych2Go and check out our Patreon. We started it because we want to grow into a bigger platform that reaches more people who are in need of help. With your contribution, you can receive our side pendant, t-shirt, issues of our magazine, and many more membership benefits. Your funding will help us produce quality script writing, voiceovers, and animation that makes our content both entertaining and educational. We want to make sure our community members get the best and only the best. Thanks for watching.